Baldwin Cottage and Garden

10/30/2026

Good afternoon beautiful people.
What a great morning, Foster Friday was alive and well today.
We had shifts of people coming and going sometimes it was one conversation and sometimes there were several smaller conversations. It was very organic and pleasant.
I personally cherish the face-to-face conversations, the ties built in one-on-one time spent together is truly special.
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I try to be a better person today than I was yesterday, and I fail so often that I often wish to give up, then I go out into the world.
Right now it feels so yucky, all the anger and fear and tribe building, I find I really dont want those thoughts to live in my head.
So here we are trying to keep positive in such a negative time.
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There is this postings sap...
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Moving on:
What a magnificent fall we have had this year, a bit more rain would have been ok but the warm weather has been awesome!
The colors are beautiful and currently falling fast enough that we already know we will be looking at bald trees, and pulling our woolies out of the closet.
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Don't forget to move your clocks back, I understand, go yell at someone else I can't fix it...
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Goodbye Ade, we will miss every Friday, you have been so kind and pleasant to our invading army once a week. Big hugs
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Peace. See less

09/08/2026

Good morning beautiful people.
Sometimes the words don't flow from my fingertips as easy as they usually do. I have had a couple weeks with the writing block. I must say I am not enjoying it.
That said
I have 3 Foster Friday's to catch up on.
see the photos for a visual on all the cool kids.
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Where should I start?
we are so lucky, so blessed to have such an amazing group of people that are willing to wake up and share a cuppa with us on Fridays.
Face to face we talk about life, the good, the bad and the I wish it was different. Not exactly exciting, and not boring it's just about life.
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Summer here in Mid-Michigan has been warm, quite warm for us, we finally started getting some rain and the garden is so very happy about it, as watering the garden plays hell with the water bill.
Although I have seen forecasts for lows in the 50's it appears good sleeping weather in on the way.
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I see friends and neighbors are getting the Halloween bug, and are ready to start the process of turning the yard and front door into a very scary place.
I love this time of year.
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You already know the drill, be polite to each other, share your toys and remember the golden rule you were taught as a kid, it still applies, Who knew?
Peace.

08/15/2026

Summer harvest time is creating more work around here.
Just started a ferment of peppers to make a hot sauce out of in about a week.
So much easier than canning the excess of snap beans this afternoon.
Hope your weekend is pleasant and productive if your in harvest mode as well.

08/14/2026

Good Afternoon you beautiful people!
Another Friday another cuppa and a few more conversations under our belts.
We had young and old talking about whatever comes to mind.
I truly treasure the moments we have face to face. I believe that the connection is deeper and the conversations are more meaningful than when you're talking to keyboard warriors.
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A couple people came and went before the photos this morning.
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Hopes and wishes.
We are wishing you all a great weekend and hoping that life is pleasant for you as harvest season kicks into full gear.
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BTS Party.
The back to school party is Saturday I hope we see you there.
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The garden.
We will be posting more about the garden later, as it feels like food is coming in faster than we can eat it.
Gotta pull the canner out again.
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Peace.

08/11/2026

Good Morning beautiful souls,
even with the really warm temperatures here in Mid-Michigan we were able to feed ourselves one more day from the garden. We had eggplant parmesan. Unfortunately, I had to breakdown and go to the store for some parmesan cheese as I haven't learned to make that ...yet, grin.
While I was there I also got some mozzarella and made a salad.
Life is good.
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Today I am going to can bread and butter pickles as the cukes are doing extremely well this year.
it's odd but last year was cucumber beetles and this year its Japanese beetles.
Of course we are still fighting with vine borers.
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The turnip and collards have just broken the surface of the soil and will be ready for thinning as soon as I can get out there to do it.
It seems like we just planted the spring garden and now I am already working on the fall garden,
Who knew?
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I hope this Tuesday is an awesome day for you and that you have time to put away any food you have harvested.
Just a side note my grandma's both of them never seemed to struggle with gardening, I have been working on ours for over 5 years and still I'm having some struggles. I didn't think this would be such a journey when I started, and just as I was ready to give up it started producing.
I have carrots for the first time ever they are beautiful, and celery for the second year,
Over all I am pleased.
I've been trying to give up disappointment with the garden for lent. grin.
I'm not Catholic so that may be a joke in bad taste, oops.
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Peace

08/10/2026

Good morning beautiful people.
I know, I know Foster Friday was a few days ago.
Life gets big sometimes, and you have to roll with the punches, as they say.
Friday morning was such a great morning to have a nice cuppa outside and share conversations with a group of truly pleasant people. AND what about those awesome baristas we are always being taken care of by such pleasant people at Foster Coffee.
We are blessed.
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The weekend flew by, which is normal when you're busy.
We had a lovely Saturday where we got to spend time with friends both old and new.
Mike Ash's birthday celebration was Saturday night, and we missed Josh and Jeffs birthday celebration because we haven't learned to travel through the space time continuum, which frankly I find to be a bit of a bummer. grin.
Happy Birthday to anyone and everyone we missed.
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Sunday we went to Oakland county for our friends suffering loses of family, one of the big bummers of life is loss.
It's unfair that we trust our friends and family are better off once they pass, and yet the downside is that everyone left has to deal with this most unpleasant beast called grief.
If I could have one special superpower it would be to help make grief a little more bearable for those I love and hold dear, oh hell for anyone I meet.
Grief can suck joy right out of life, for a while, occasionally a long, long while.
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On the up side, we reconnected with friends and friends we call family.
My hug meter was filled and over flowing by the end of the day. We are so lucky to know so many amazing and beautiful people.
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Well its freaking Monday already.
We wish you a most wonderful week.
I think since we were rained out last night we will be going to the Shiawassee county fair, probably today if not Thursday, or perhaps both days.
Life is good, and goats are adorable.
But horses are Beautiful and majestic.
And finally cows make me smile, just like watching a duck makes me smile.
It appears I saw a squirrel. grin.
Circling back.
Its time for my once a year funnel cake or elephant ear, to be followed by a corn dog an ice cream and that is follwed by an Alka seltzer. It's good to have a plan.
Yahoo.
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Be kind to each other, that is not a request, you learned how to do it in Sunday school. If your rusty at it, keep on keeping on.
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Peace. See less

08/10/2026

Good morning beautiful souls.
What a busy few days in Mid-Michigan for us.
The garden has exploded, we are harvesting everyday at this point, the viney things have taken over and the fall garden is ready to be planted, some of which we have already started on.
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We have had some warm to hot weather up here this year.
the tomato's are loving it, the herbs aren't quite so sure.
going from a regular garden to raised beds has been a bit of a learning curve, this is year 3, or maybe 4 and we know that next year the squash and water melons, will be planted in a different location. so we can keep the raised beds weeded and under a little bit of control.
It seems no matter how old I get I learn something new about gardening every year.
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we hope that you have a most awesome week.
Create a few really good memories that you can dust off and enjoy again and again. grin.
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Oh yes, whats up with the vine borers and the Japanese beetles this year?
I lost 3 georgia candy roaster squash so far and the pretty green bugs have eaten holes and so many leaves I didn't even know how to respond.
Inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth
then
Swear a lot and try to drown the little beasties.
but I digress again.
Haqve a most wonderful week
Enjoy a few photos from this weeks adventure.

08/05/2026

Good Morning beautiful souls!
Nature is kicking into high gear here in Mid-Michigan.
We have already made sauerkraut, and deli pickles.
It looks like were having sweet and sour cabbage, summer squash, and brats for dinner, that reminds me I need to make some brat buns this afternoon. grin
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The eggplant will be ready for its first harvest by Sunday meaning we can have our first eggplant parmesan this year.
I LOVE HARVEST season. although It does make me tired some days.
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There is a photo of Helga guarding her yard from intruders, especially squirrels.
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Its been hot here this year, the sour dough starter eats a lot, I've started a few in the fridge just to see how they do.
I will let you know my success or failure.
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Oh my, I just got notice a friend has a bat in her house and needs to be rescued.
HAve a fabulous day.
Peace

08/01/2026

04/26/2026

Good Morning beautiful people!
Another Foster Friday has come and gone.
I've been fighting with a own sinus' they seem to be creating concrete in my head.
Franks sister Teri was here this week, and we have finally had some time to spend with her, to be thankful for her and to share grief with each other.
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Francis of A Ye**ty was a success on Friday we passed out 6 of the 8 starters we had on us, yay. And we will be keeping it alive for a while just in case.
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I don't know if the younger than me folks appreciate just how important it is to have face to face conversations.
It seriously changes the whole dynamic of conversations, for me anyway.
I think the laughter is my favorite part, just hearing someone have a great big belly laugh is freaking awesome.
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Here at the cottage we have been working diligently to get the plants started and healthy. We have a lot of sweet potato slips and the celery and onions look like they are going to do pretty well this year, but alas we have learned not to count our chicks before they hatch, so to speak. that doesn't mean we don't carry hope around in our pocket.
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Ya know folks I really struggle with the world right now, we are so damn mean to each other, and I don't get it. instead of helping each other to our graves we are pushing each other down and stepping on each other and just being dicks to each other for beliefs that other people put in our heads, for a feeling of superiority?,
i honestly don't know why,
although I do know it sucks.
Love is stronger than hate, its just not as easy.
Is that the answer?
we all wanna take the easy way out?
Enough I'm hopping off the soapbox now.
Apologies.
I do try to stay positive.
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I turned off the furnace again today, but the future outlook says I'm not done with it.
Furnace roulette this time of year is always fun to do.
Now I know why I suck in Vegas.
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OK folks go outside and enjoy the sunshine, even if you just sit down and let it warm your body and soul for a little while.
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Heidi and Helga like the snow, but they love the spring when they can chase birds, and squirrel's, and woodchucks, and Bunnies they love to chase bunnies.
Maybe we have something to learn for our dogs and cats, grin.
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Go out and conquer the world today, be the person your granny always thought you could be.
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Get your hands dirty it helps to clean your mind.
PEACE!